


Instinct

by Karnythia



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-07-28 18:23:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7651954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karnythia/pseuds/Karnythia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens in Tahoe isn't going to stay in Tahoe. For once that's a good thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The drive to Tahoe is long on a good day. When he's chasing down Paige before she can fall for someone else, someone who is definitely better than Drew, and possibly better for her than him? Walter wishes he'd asked Cabe to call in a favor for a chopper. The good thing is that he doesn't wrap his car around a tree or drive off a cliff. 

The bad thing is that he gets to the hotel just in time to see Paige brush a good night kiss across Tim's lips. It's...platonic. Kind of. Her lips aren't parted more than a few millimeters, but Walter knows what she tastes like, and he hates that Tim might have the faintest sense memory of her like he does. A part of his mind registers that Tim has walked Paige to her door, hers, not theirs, hers, but he's not fool enough to think the first night's sleeping arrangements will last the whole weekend. He should leave, he knows that he should just get back in his car and go back to the garage. But Tim's room is not Paige's room so maybe he still has a shot. 

He's leaning against a rail, trying to figure out what to say to her, how to explain himself when Tim walks over and takes a seat next to him. Walter doesn't know what to say to him at all, isn't sure what he would say “I'm here to crash your date, take Paige away, and screw you and your stupid cheap ass chocolates?” Not a good thing to say, which is probably why it is pretty much exactly what comes out of his mouth. 

To his credit, other than clenching his jaw Tim doesn't physically respond. Walter's pretty sure Tim could actually rip his head off...which is terrifying in an abstract way. He's pondering the actual physics of a manual beheading when Tim says “If you're here for Paige, why are you sitting outside instead of knocking on her door?”

“I was trying to figure out what to say to her. I'm...not good with words. Especially ones about my feelings.”

“Yeah, Cabe mentioned that. Come to think of it so did Toby and Sylvester. And Ralph. And Paige.” Tim scrubbed his hands across his face, “Everyone tell me you're a good guy. And I respect you, even if I don't always understand you. But this? I don't get this.”

“Get what?” Walter looked away, “Why I don't want to lose Paige? I thought you would understand that part...”

“Oh I understand not wanting to lose her, she's smart, strong, sweet, beautiful, generous...I completely understand why you want her in your life.” Tim smiled grimly, “You want her for all the same reasons I do. The difference is I didn't waste any time. You've had two years and yet...”

“She matters to me. Ralph matters to me. I don't want to screw anything up.” Walter hunched forward, unconsciously wrapping his arms around himself “I'm not good at relationships. I can manage to be someone's friend, brother, I've even gotten better at being a son. Boyfriend...I screw that one up a lot.”

“Don't. You. Dare. Make. Me. Feel. Sorry. For. You.” Tim bit out each word, like he was actually spitting bullets, “Not when you've come all the way up here to come between us.”

“You've been out on what? Three dates, maybe four? You're only on this one because I chickened out and gave her the tickets instead of asking her to come with me.” He sat up straight, “Whatever you think you feel for her, it cannot begin to compare to what I feel...”

“What do you feel? Possessive? Territorial? Maybe you're like Drew and you expect her to just wait for you, forever.” When Walter bristled, Tim chuckled “No? Well at least you know she's a person. I know she deserves more than to be treated like a yo-yo. Or a piece of rope. So, I'm going to go back to my room, and I'm going to wait until morning. If you manage to get up, and say...something to her. Anything that passes for an actual clear declaration of feelings and she wants you then I'll bow out gracefully.”

“And if I don't?” Walter's not going to back down, but he is curious about what exactly Tim is willing to do to be with Paige.

“Then tomorrow morning, when I knock on her door it'll be to take her to breakfast. We'll do some exploring, there's a bunch of those little boutiques she likes nearby, so I'll buy her something pretty. Then I'll take her to lunch, a romantic dinner, the concert tonight, and to my bed if she wants to go.” Tim stares directly into Walter's eyes as he says the last part, “I'm good at being a boyfriend, I know exactly how to treat Paige.”

“Is that a roundabout way of telling me I don't?” Walter grimaced, “I already know my failings.”

“Yeah, so does she. And she still feels...something for you.” Tim's voice was curiously flat, “I don't go where I'm not wanted. And I'm no one's consolation prize. If Paige wants you I won't get in the way. But if she doesn't, or if you fuck this up and hurt her?”

“You'll be right there waiting?” Walter let out a bitter little huff of laughter, “Ready to be the perfect boyfriend? What about later? What about Ralph?”

“I have always wanted to be a husband and a father.” Tim's face turned wistful, “Doing what I do...I didn't want to leave behind a widow. Or an orphan. I can't say that I am in love with Paige yet, but I can see it happening. I fall a little further every time she smiles at me. I've kept my distance while I figure out my future. But if I'm not cleared to go back, if my discharge is final? I'd be proud to have a son like Ralph. To wake up to Paige's smiles every day.”

There's nothing Walter can say to that, other than it is exactly what he would say if he could find the words, so he drops a curt nod in Tim's direction and walks to Paige's door. He looks back just once, but Tim is already gone. It doesn't matter, Walter already knows he's a man of his word. Either he gets this right tonight, or he'll end up watching Paige marry another man.


	2. Chapter 2

The actual act of knocking is easy, waiting for Paige to open the door is harder. He cycles through half a dozen possible speeches, in the few seconds it takes for her to look through the peephole and then open the door just a crack. He's so focused on what he's going to say that it doesn't register that she hasn't fully opened the door. He pushes in, ignoring for a moment that she's speaking to him. Then it registers that she's only wearing a t-shirt. His t-shirt, given to her one day when an experiment turned messy. 

His carefully rehearsed pitch for the reasons they should at least try dating vanishes. Instinct, wonderful, wonderful instinct takes over. She smells like lavender and looks like heaven to him. He kisses her, holds her close, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. and whatever it was she was saying, whatever he was going to say doesn't matter for a few amazing moments. 

When he finally lets her lips go, he blurts out “I'm in love with you. I shouldn't be, you deserve someone better, someone who can treat you the way you deserve to be treated. But I had to tell you.”

She doesn't say anything at first, and he lets his hands fall to his sides. The rational part of his brain has kicked in, and it occurs to him that he's forced his way into her room, accosted her physically, and...shit. Maybe he deserves to have his head ripped off by Tim. 

“You..what?” He steals a peek at her when she speaks. Paige's fingers are hovering over her lips, her eyes wide, “Walter...you...what?”

“I...uh...I'm in love with you. And I totally understand if you don't feel the same way. I do. I can't even manage to tell you properly. But I just...I wanted you to know.”

“Walter...I...wow. Wow.” Paige smoothed one hand down the front of the oversized shirt, “Earlier you said...”

“I know, I meant it. I have all of these feelings, and I love seeing you. Love hearing about your day or whatever I did wrong. Or Ralph's day. Anything really, I love your voice, your smile, your laugh, even the way you look when you're mad.” He's babbling, he knows he's babbling, but Walter can't stop, not now, not with Paige's fingers still hovering over her kiss swollen lips. “I wish I could tell you that I could be different, better at being human, I want to be, especially for you. But...”

“I don't want you to be different.” Paige's hand drops away from her mouth, and she watches Walter's eyes track it instead of looking into her face, “I never once asked you to be different for me.”

“No you didn't, but...I ruin things. Ruin romantic relationships, friendships, what we have at Scorpion is precious to me. And I...”

“If you are about to tell me...again that dating is a bad idea after...what you just did I'm going to make that slap in the subway feel like a love tap.”

She means it, Walter can hear the sincerity in her voice but he's just discovered a tiny little scar on her toe, and he focuses on it as he says “I'm not going to say that. I am going to say that I don't expect anything. I wanted you to know how I feel, but I completely understand if you don't feel the same way.”

“Shut up Walter.” There's no heat in her voice, but he braces himself for rejection anyway, she's not exactly jumping for joy about his declaration. Instead she steps away, paces around the room, occasionally stealing peeks back at him. “I came here with Tim. You gave me the tickets. You know that. I can't just...” 

“I talked to him when I first got here.” Walter poked at the carpet with the toe of his shoe, “He knows what I came to to say to you.”

“And?”

“Heh, he gave me a deadline to talk to you. Said that if I didn't get it done tonight, then tomorrow...” Walter trailed off, there was no way he was going to lay out exactly how much better equipped Tim was for dating than he was, “Tomorrow he would stop holding back. He likes you. A lot. But he doesn't love you. Not yet. He could. If that's what you want, I'll leave and we can pretend this didn't happen.”

“I don't want...Jesus Walter, you couldn't have done this when I had pants on?”

“I like your legs. And that little scar that looks like a smile.”

Paige glanced down at her feet, “Heh I always forget that's there. I got it from a stable door when I was eight. I was trying to rescue a kitten.”

“Did you? Save it I mean?”

“It saved itself. Made friends with the horse. It didn't need me after all.” Paige walked over to stand in front of Walter again, “I like being needed. I like you, even when you make me want to scream. I love how brave you are, how much you care about people. I love it when I can get you to relax, to smile, to open up just a little bit. I love that when you look at me you see everything, and you don't look away.”

“I can't. Looking at you is like looking at a nebula, even if it burns, it's still glorious.” Walter sank down onto the edge of the bed, “Please don't stay with me because I need you. I want you, but I don't want that.”

“That's not what I was saying.” Paige stepped into the hollow between his legs, “You're smart, and brave, and I think I've always known that you love us. Love me. I love you too, but I don't want you to offer me a relationship because you're afraid I'll leave you if you don't.”

“That's not what I'm doing. I was going to convince myself that I would be okay with you and Tim. He's a good guy, smarter than you would expect, nicer...sometimes anyway. I don't think he likes me very much right now.” 

“Well he wouldn't.” Paige let her hands come to rest on Walter's shoulders, and for the first time he let himself look up into her face, “I mean, you did just crash our first real date.”

Walter tried and failed to keep his face neutral, “Is it going to be your last real date?”

“That depends, are you going to take me to music festivals or to see flowers that smell like corpses?”

“I'll take you anywhere to want to go.” Walter pressed a kiss to her belly, let his fingers skim lightly over her upper legs, “You kept my shirt. You sleep in my shirt.”

“It's soft. And you told me I could keep it.” Paige's fingertips traced a pattern over his shoulders, “Are you about to take it back?”

“Maybe.” When he looks up into her face there's a question there, “Or I can go try to book my own room. Whichever you would prefer.”


	3. Chapter 3

Paige's answer is to curl forward to kiss him. It's an awkward angle, and he unconsciously shifts things to improve the tension in his neck. If Paige ends up in his lap because of it? Well, there are some wonderful benefits to kinesiology. 

Sex is something he's always enjoyed for the endorphins more than any emotional attachment, but the way Paige feels in his arms is different. For the first time he can understand why Toby was so giddy about sex with Happy. He's still fully dressed but she's only wearing a tiny pair of panties under the shirt, and as much as he enjoys the taste of her kisses...well, there are some other parts of her he has dreamed about tasting. 

Paige is trying to unbutton his shirt and he should be making it easier for her to get it off, he should at least kick off his shoes...something. But Paige is naked and beautiful and in a bed with him. First he just wants to hear her moan, gasp, maybe say his name. So he pins her wrists in one hand and lets the other explore every inch of her he can reach. The noises he coaxes out of her when his lips close over her right nipple are better than any sound he's ever heard. 

 

Okay, maybe he wants to hear her scream his name. A few times. An abstract part of him is grateful that when he first showed an interest in the opposite sex Meg shoved women's magazines full of tips about dating at him until he read them just to make her stop. The sex tips probably weren't the part he was supposed to memorize, but well...teenager. Despite Toby's jokes he's never been a bad kisser, just not a particularly emotive one. But he can't separate his feelings from his body's responses so he just has to hope what he's doing works for Paige because he can't focus on technique right now. 

Still, he's got a limitless amount of patience for this particular research project. Plenty of time to kiss, lick, and touch every inch of her. Again and again. It's nearly morning before he's done. And somewhere along the way he lost his clothes, but hearing Paige say his name while her legs are wrapped around his ears is amazing. Though not as amazing as when she says it while he's inside of her. Eventually they doze off wrapped up together. 

He wakes up first, slips out to the porch in her discarded t-shirt and his pants from the night before. He keeps a go bag in the trunk of his car, and technically he's going to get it. Toothbrushes and clean underwear are some of mankind's best inventions. He also wants to see if Tim's car is still there. It is. So is Tim who looks more resigned than angry. 

“Uhh...hi. This is actually more awkward than last night.” Walter stopped a few feet away, “I have no idea what to say to you, except...if you can't handle this you should move on.”

“You have no idea what I can handle.” Tim grimaced, “I got my clearance. I have to report for duty in a few days so it won't be a problem for long.” 

“I'm glad that worked out for you.”

“I wish I could say the same to you.” Tim let out a long loud sigh, “Be nice to her, take her places she likes, listen to her when she talks about her feelings. Don't fuck this up, because if you do I promise I won't be the only guy in line to kick your ass. I'll just be the best equipped.”

“Understood.” Walter wants to be pissed, but really this is a mess he made, Tim has seen his catastrophic attempts to date, read the reports about all the ways he's almost gotten Paige killed. “I would never intentionally hurt her. You know that.”

“Good intentions can only get you so far.” Tim tilted his chin at Paige's door, “Instead of scheduling texts, schedule flowers. She'll like that.”

“Okay.” Walter walked past Tim, popped his trunk and grabbed his bag. He should just walk away, waits a few minutes , because Tim's clearly not done yet.

“Remember when I told you that I didn't want to leave behind a widow or an orphan?”

“Yes.”

“You shouldn't either. Whatever redemption you're chasing...don't get it at their expense. Paige is so good at emotions, at reading a room because that's how you survive foster care. She doesn't have anyone, and she's used to making it on her own. Don't get her used to relying on you if you're just going to abandon her.”

Walter took a breath, two, tried to assimilate this information that he had somehow missed. “Paige...never told me that. She never talks about her family.”

“Don't worry, she didn't tell me either. She's such a good listener, if you're not careful you'll never notice how well she keeps her secrets. I recognize some things from experience. She takes care of other people so thoroughly, that no one ever asks who takes care of her. That's what she needs most I think. Someone who will take care of her.”

“I'll do my best. Why tell me all of this? Why help?” Walter closed his trunk, walked back around to face Tim, “Even I know this is weird.”

“Because I like her. Even if we were never going to be anything but friends, I want her to be happy.” Tim shrugged, “Besides Scorpion is her family now, you matter to her, all of you. I just want to make sure you treat her like she matters to you. Tell her I'll come by, see her and Ralph again before I leave.”

They shook hands, and Walter watched Tim drive off before he walked back to the room. Inside Paige was sitting up in bed, wearing his shirt and hugging a pillow. In the seconds before she registered that Walter was back he caught a glimpse of a sad lost look on her face. The hasty smile that replaced it was familiar, and he knew that despite Tim's lack of concrete evidence the other man had indeed seen something that somehow they all missed. 

“Hey, I had to grab my bag.” Walter eased the door shut, “Do you want to go out for breakfast? Or order in?”

“I should probably go talk to Tim first. This is going to be messy.”

“No it's not. He's headed back to pack up, they've ordered him to report to base in a few days. He'll come by the garage before he leaves, see you and Ralph, say his good byes.” Walter walked closer to the bed, “He's not upset with you at all. Just wants you to be happy.”

Paige tilted her head to one side, “That sounds remarkably mature. Maybe he really wasn't going to fit in with us after all.”

“Probably not.” Walter sat on the edge of the bed, “I can get another room today if you needs some space.”

“Do you need some space?”

For a brief ridiculous second Walter is tempted to say yes just to see what her response would be, but good sense makes him reply, “I want to make sure I'm not crowding you.:

“You're not.” Paige squeezed the pillow again, “I just..what are we doing?”

“Well, I was hoping to have breakfast, maybe walk around a little, listen to some music later.” Walter tugged the pillow out of Paige's hands, and took them in his own, “I want to be with you.”

“You know I could swear you said you don't enjoy contact.” Paige raised their joined hands, “I always try to respect that.”

“I don't enjoy touching strangers. Or people I'm not close to.” Walter tugged Paige forward, turning as she moved so that she ended up in his lap, “I...really like touching you. One of the reasons I held back is how much I want to touch you. It's not an urge I'm used to feeling so strongly.”

Paige snuggled into his embrace and sighed softly, “I like touching you too.”

“You have to talk to me. Tell me what you want, what you need from me.” He leaned back so he could look at her face, “You know so much about me, do so much for me. I don't want this to be one sided.”

“It's not. You do so much for us, you completely changed our lives.” Paige pressed a kiss to his chest, “I just want you to be you, and we'll figure the rest out.”

He's not good at reading emotional situations, but he doesn't need Toby to tell him that Paige has just sidestepped asking for anything. Again. Now that Tim has pointed it out, Walter can see a pattern. Paige takes care of everyone else, and of herself. That's going to change. He took care of his sister, looks out for his friends, he can definitely make sure that he does more for Paige's happiness than adding cinnamon to coffee. She doesn't have to talk about it today, but he knows at some point he'll have to get Toby's help to get her to open up about her family. For now...well, they have time. 

“Are you going to steal all of my shirts?” Walter asked as his hand slid under the crumpled cotton, “This is twice now.”

“Depends, are you going to take this one back the same way you took the other one?” 

“Room service first, I'm hungry, and you'll need the extra energy.”

Paige's giggles lasted all the way through breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I wasn't going to continue this, but there is a rabid plot bunny in my brain. Plus it bugs me that there's all these context clues about Paige's life pre diner and Scorpion that never get explored. So...plot bunny must have its way. All I can say is that this won't be a super long fic. Probably under 10 chapters because I have writing for money that I need to do.

Tahoe is bliss. Pure and utter bliss. For two whole days they are in a cocoon completely separate from the stresses of day to day life. So of course everything goes sideways on the way home. It's Walter's fault, now that he's paying attention there are signs everywhere that Paige has never had much in her life that she didn't earn. It makes him hyper aware of his own shortcomings as a listener. If he were Toby he could at least deduce it, instead he takes a page from Cabe and asks flat out, “Why don't you ever talk about your family?” in the middle of one of those quiet periods that happen on long drives. 

Paige goes stiff for a second and then says quietly “I don't have one. Except Ralph and now Scorpion.”

It's simple confirmation, after all when she mentioned being evicted part of him wondered how that could have happened. But with no support from Drew, no family to fall back on, and only the income from whatever dead end job (or lack thereof) of course Paige had struggled to stay afloat. 

 

“Where did you grow up?” He peeks at her face, and she looks so sad again, “You mentioned horses, did you grow up in the country?”

“After a fashion.” She shrugged, “Why are you asking me this now?”

“Open communication remember? You know my parents, my sister, my friends. Other than Ralph and Drew I don't know anyone from your life before Scorpion and the diner.”

“You wouldn't want to know them.” Paige's voice shakes for a second, “Let's stop for lunch soon.”

“Paige...”

“I don't want to talk about it. I don't talk about it. Okay?” This isn't like the anger he's seen from her in the past. It's something else. He doesn't recognize it, but he knows it's time to back off. 

“Okay.” They stop for a stilted nearly silent lunch, and for lack of any better ideas Walter pulls her into a hug before they get back on the road. She doesn't open up, but she seems to relax back into a slightly better mood. 

Happy's not at the garage when they get back, but her dad is locked into some kind of conversation with Toby that looks intense. It's a good thing in a way, keeps Toby from poking at him and Paige. 

Sylvester doesn't say anything, just smiles and waves then resumes his work. It's a quiet day, perfect for some more time alone before Paige has to pick up Ralph. She's whispering a suggestion in his ear that has him ready to throw her over his shoulder and run upstairs so of course Cabe shows up with a case. 

“Digital counterfeiting. You don't even have to leave the garage, I just need you and Sylvester to keep these guys busy long enough with fake money transfers for our team to arrest them.” Cabe grinned at Walter knowingly, “You can go back to whatever you were doing...later. Much later.”

For once it's the truth. It's nothing too involved, mostly rapid coding and calculations but it takes a few hours which means that Paige isn't there by the time Walter and Sylvester are done. Neither is Toby, and all Walter can do is hope Happy's dad was able to help. 

“Toby told me you went to Tahoe. I take it that went well?” Sylvester asked, as they wrote up their mission reports.

“Paige and I...we reached an understanding.” Walter can't help the stupid grin he feels forming on his face, but he tries anyway.

“What about Tim?” Sylvester leaned forward conspiratorially, “You don't look like you got punched.”

“I didn't.” Walter laughed ruefully, “Tim was pretty understanding actually, besides he's going back to the Navy.”

“Well then why are you still here? Why aren't you headed to Paige's?”

Walter scrubbed a hand over his face, “Well I don't want to crowd her. And I could use some time to think.”

“You still want to be with her right?” Sylvester's eyes softened “Your sister would be so happy to hear that you two finally got together.”

“I definitely want to be with her. But Tim mentioned that Paige acts like someone who grew up in foster care. And...she's never mentioned her family. Not once. I know she went to college, I know she left to be with Drew and to have Ralph.”

“What else do you need to know?” Sylvester shifted in his seat, “You've met my Dad. Some families...not everyone gets parents like yours Walter. Most people don't.”

“I know that. But we all talk about our families. Happy talks about foster care. Paige...she acts like she started to exist as a teen.”

“Maybe it just makes her sad to talk about it. What did she say when you asked her? You did ask her right?”

“Of course. She said that she doesn't talk about it.”

Sylvester frowned, “That's...not good. She talks about almost everything. Even when she wants us to butt out she tells us why.”

“I know, that's why I'm worried. Tim said foster care, but why hide that? She told me about being evicted, about Drew abandoning her and Ralph...until now I thought she was an open book.”

“Maybe...maybe something bad happened. And she just doesn't want to deal with it.” Sylvester looked away, “Meg thought...well...nevermind.”

“No, tell me. What did she think? She never mentioned it to me.”

“It's just a theory. She didn't have any proof or anything, but she thought someone hurt Paige before she met Drew. That she ended up with him because he was better than whatever she left behind.” He shrugged, “We could never figure out what she saw in him, or why she didn't at least make him send money for Ralph.”

“Heh I always thought she just...liked him. No idea why, but...now that you say it, he really isn't the kind of person you change your life for, not when you could have so much more.”

“Maybe she didn't know then what she knows now.” Sylvester stared down at his ring finger, “Before I met your sister I had no idea love could be that way.” 

“Yeah.” Walter reached over and patted his shoulder, “Sly...you okay? I didn't mean to bring you down.”

“I'm okay. I'm going to do some math. Clear my head you know?” Sylvester got to his feet, “I'll see you later. Walter...if Meg was right, even if she wasn't, be good to Paige. Appreciate her. Appreciate what you have.”

“I will. I promise.”

Alone with his thoughts Walter can't help stitching together other things Paige has said over the last two years. It's not a comforting picture, especially when he looks at the very thin personnel file Paige assembled for herself. Drew is the only emergency contact, and even there she has penciled in instructions to only call him if she can't take care of Ralph. When he was telling himself her personal life was none of his business this was all easy to ignore. Now though, now he really feels like a jackass.

He knows more about Toby, Sylvester and Happy than almost anyone else in their lives. They've all saved each other from bad decisions dozens of times. Paige's past...is a mystery. He hates mysteries, hates not knowing things. There's a small niggling voice that says he should wait for Toby, get him to talk to Paige or at least help get her talking. But the sadness in her face, the way she'd withdrawn...maybe he should just find out for himself. 

It takes some digging. A lot actually, even for him, and by the time he's done it's nearly morning. He's doesn't know whether to be glad Tim was wrong, or sad that foster care would have been better for Paige than what she had.


	5. Chapter 5

Just as Walter is going upstairs to try to sleep Happy arrives bearing doughnuts. One look at her face and he mentally checks even the possibility of sleep off his to do list. She's not wearing her willing to talk face, so they head up to the roof to watch the sunrise in silence. When it's over, she gets up, dusts off her hands and says quietly “I'll deal with it. It won't screw up anything. Maybe I should have followed your lead and just kept it professional.”

“I...uh...I went to Tahoe. Paige and I are...dating I guess?”

“You guess?”

“We didn't really get a chance to talk about what we were going to do after we came home. But I love her. We'll figure it out.”

Happy looked away, “I said something like that, and well here I am.”

“Yeah but...you can fix this. You can get a divorce or annulment or whatever. You can explain it to Toby.”

“He'll never forgive me.”

“Yes he will. If there's anything Toby understands it is being forgiven for hurting people.”

Happy pressed her hands to her eyes, “I told him not to do it. Why didn't he listen?”

“He loves you. He wants to be with you. Talk to him.” Walter got to his feet, “He gave me good advice, you gave me good advice so take some from me. Whatever it is, the only way for you to make this right is to tell him the truth.”

“You're the voice of reason, I have really really screwed this up.” Happy sighed unhappily, “I'll go find him.”

“Last time I saw him he was with your dad.”

“Shit.”

Walter leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to Happy's bike pull away and trying very hard not to think for a few minutes. 

“Walter, wait until I show you what we made!” 

The sun was higher in the sky so Walter could only assume he'd dozed off for a few minutes. Just long enough for Ralph and Paige to arrive. Not anywhere near enough sleep, but Ralph was talking a mile a minute about the low orbit rocket he designed to amuse his friends and nothing would do but to talk about ways to improve it for the next sleepover. 

When the car pool showed up, Paige said “School now for you, sleep for you.” and waved them in opposite directions. 

“I can sleep later.” Walter murmured, “We didn't get a chance to talk last night.”

Paige patted his cheek, “You can tell me all about your case later. You're asleep on your feet.”

“I have stayed up much longer than this.” Walter grumbled as he made his way to his bed and flopped down. 

She muttered something noncommittal and started to walk away, but Walter grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bed. “Walter!”

“We have no clients lined up, Happy and Toby are going to be talking for a long time. Cabe will call if he has a case, and Sylvester is probably lost in the numbers.” He rolled so that Paige was laying on his chest, “I'm not going to sleep when I could be spending time with you.”

“What happened to efficient focused Walter? Who are you, what have you done with him?”

“He'll be back when there's work to do.”

“Admit it, I've corrupted you. Two days of canoodling and you have a one track mind.” Paige walked her fingers up the buttons of his shirt, “I bet I could make you sleepy.”

“You could.” Walter smirked, “Of course I'd have to return the favor and these walls aren't soundproof.”

“Jerk!” She slapped at him, laughing when Walter caught her hand and pulled it up to his mouth for a kiss. 

“Just stating the facts ma'am.” He squeezed her fingers lightly, “So I know what Ralph did last night, what did you do?”

“Took him home, listened to sleepover tales, laundry, bills, the usual.”

“No phone calls to your best friends to brag about dating your genius boss?” Walter huffed, “Bad daytime TV lied to me.”

“Oh I suppose you told your best friends about dating your hot office manager?”

“I told two of them. Not that they didn't already know.” He picked up her hand, gently interlacing their fingers, “I was literally the last person to know I was in love with you.”

“Technically I didn't know until you told me.” She smiled at him almost shyly, “So, now what?”

“Now we date, and I try really hard not screw everything up.” Walter frowned, “I feel like there's this big land mine I'm supposed to ignore. But...you know I can't do that right? I'm not good at not knowing things.”

“I know.” Paige pulled her hand away and sat up, “But I don't talk about this Walter. With anyone. I can't.”

“Do you remember Djibouti?” It's a risk, but he can't lie to Paige for long, even by omission. 

“Of course I remember...” She pulled her legs up, wrapped her arms around her knees “You looked me up. Found...why couldn't you just leave this alone?”

“That's not how I work. This scares you, hurts you, I can help. I can fix it.” 

“No. You can't. No one can.”

“Between Cabe's connections and Scorpion…”

“The Feds have tried storming the compound, locking the men up. It doesn't stop them. Nothing stops them.” Tears welled in her eyes, “I got out. That's the most anyone can do. And you don't know what that cost. Whatever you found it doesn't tell the whole story.”

“I'm not saying I can make them all stop. But...I can make sure that you don't have to be afraid of them tracking you down. That's why you changed your name isn't it?”


	6. Chapter 6

For the first time he understands why people describe rooms going cold. Paige's face is expressionless, but her eyes...they might as well be stone. There's none of the warmth he's used to in them. For several frightening seconds it's like she's looking through him. Like he doesn't matter at all. 

“I changed my name because it was ugly and reminded me of them.” She wiped away a tear, “My mother got me out. One day right before I would have been old enough for the Book of Joy she took me with her on an errand. Dropped me off at my aunt's house. Told me she loved me and that she was sorry. She died two weeks later.”

Walter doesn't speak, can't speak, but it doesn't matter because now words are pouring out of Paige, and the little bit he found out isn't even close to the whole story.

“I found out later that I was already promised to a man with 16 wives. I was 11, and my father had already decided to marry me off.” She dashed away another tear, “My mother failed him you see, she only had one child and I was sweet, we are all required to keep sweet, but I asked too many questions. I liked school too much, liked reading and books and things that were supposed to be for my brothers too much.”

She took a deep shuddering breath, “I was going to be betrothed and then I would go live with one of my future sister wives so that I could learn to be a better wife than my mom. When she was told she acted like it was a great idea, like she was glad I would be taken care of, then she got me out.”

Paige was rocking back and forth a little, and Walter reached out to steady her. She stared at his hand like she had never seen it before, “I'm not running from them. Not now, I'm too old, and I'm soiled goods. They don't want me.”

She glared at Walter then, “Even if they did, even if they found me, tried to take Ralph from me, I'm a good shot. Better than you would expect. My aunt was excommunicated, fallen from grace for the crime of not wanting to have sex with men. Not wanting babies at all if it meant a lifetime trapped in some house waiting on her husband to show up once a month. So she left, helped others leave, and she made sure we could all protect ourselves.” 

“Paige...”

“Stop talking. You wanted to know, couldn't just leave it alone, so now you get to shut up and listen.” 

Walter froze, rage isn't something he's ever seen from Paige before but he knows what it looks like, knows intimately how it feels and all he can do now is wait.

“My father never came looking for me, or if he did I never heard about it. My aunt sent me to school, taught me how to live in the world, and then when I was 19 she died too. It was bad when I heard about my mom, but I knew she was sick, knew death was coming. My aunt...she was killed in a stupid accident. And all of a sudden I was on on my own.” 

She launched herself off the bad, pacing around the room as she continued, “You don't know what it's like to be the only child of the least favorite wife. To always be on the outside trying to prove that you matter, that you're part of things. I have at least 23 siblings and I promise you none of them would remember my old name much less recognize me on the street. Drew and the blonde in Tahoe wasn't even a surprise, I wanted fidelity and when I didn't get it I knew what to do.”

“This hurts me, but not as much as the fact that you didn't just listen to me. Wouldn't just respect the only boundary I have ever set.” She stared at Walter sadly, “I don't know what to do with you.”

“You said open communication is important. Trust is important. You trust me when we're in danger, but not with the truth about your life?”

“This wasn't about trust. I hate thinking about them, thinking about my life then, so I don't talk about it.” She balled up her fists, covered her eyes with them, “You can't just poke around in my past because I don't want to talk about something when you're ready.”

“I was worried about you. I don't want to screw this up!” Anger is probably the worst reaction he can have, but it's the only one he's got, “I have trusted you with everything. EVERYTHING. And you...don't really trust me do you? Not like I trust you.”

“I trust you as much as I can. This isn't an equation, nothing equals out immediately. Trust takes time. And you just decided to trust me with your feelings a few days ago. You don't want to screw this up?” S Stop expecting me to do what you want when you want, I'm only your employee when it comes to Scorpion, not when it comes to dating.” 

“I don't think you're my employee. I think...I hope you're my girlfriend. And that you would tell me who you are, trust me with at least that much...” He took a breath, two, trying desperately to calm down. “I know you think I was wrong to look, to poke around, and maybe I was, but they are looking for you. They have been for the last year. If I had known I could have sent them on a wild goose chase. Now they might just show up one day.”

He can see that she's shaking, little tremors in her hands, “I told you. I'm not worried about them finding me. Whatever it is they want, I can handle them.”

“You're lying. You're terrified, and for some stupid reason you do that a lot. You hide your feelings, pretend everything is okay even when it isn't.” 

The shaking is worse now, and Paige seems to notice it for the first time, staring down at her hands “It doesn't matter if I'm scared. That won't change anything.”


End file.
